A Little More Love
by Amanda N. Lupin
Summary: My first attempt at a Canon romance: Tonks & Remus
1. Chapter One: 1977

"Nymphadora, do hold still won't you?" Andromeda pleaded with a sigh, again attempting to brush the long brown trusses of her obstinate daughter' hair as she struggled. "Don't you want to look nice when your cousin arrives?"

"I don't like being called Nymphadora." she pouted, sticking out her lip, and causing her hair to turn a shocking shade of red.

"Well, that's the name I gave you, so you had best get used to it; I certainly will not refer to you by your surname it's too emasculating." she replied firmly, pushing Nymphadora back down into her seat by her shoulders. "And I want none of that hair or face changing nonsense while your cousin is visiting, do you hear me? He is bringing a guest, a very close friend, and I'd like him to feel comfortable coming back here. I won't have you scaring him out of his wits like the postman." Nymphadora chuckled, but her smile faded as she met her mother' stern gaze.

"Alright mother, I will try." she said obediently. Her mother scrutinized her for a moment, before sighing softly.

"Alright then, I guess you may go." she relented. "But do try to keep your clothes clean this time." she called as she took off down the stairs to meet the doorbell.

"Cousin Sirius!" she exclaimed excitedly as she threw back the door.

"Hello my little Nymphadora!" she frowned and scrunched up her nose in distaste.

"Tonks!" she corrected sternly. "And I am not little, I am six!" she protested.

"Blimey you look just like your mum when your angry." he said laughing.

"Sorry Tonks." he added when she still looked disgruntled. She huffed, and he stepped aside to reveal his friends. "Tonks, you've met James before..."

"Hello." she said cheerfully.

"And this is our friend Remus." Sirius finished. James and he stepped into the house and out of the way of her limited view to reveal a tall, thin young man with medium length tawny brown hair, and rather shabby robes. Looking up she saw that he had several small curious scars across his face, and deep blue eyes, he was rather handsome she thought, and he was smiling warmly down at her. He had a smile like her father'. She liked him; he was sweet, she could tell; she had always been a good judge of people.

"Hello Miss Tonks." he said softly, in a slightly hoarse voice, holding out his hand for her to shake. She ignored the hand and hugged him instead, though she was disappointed to find she was only tall enough to reach his legs. He seemed quite taken aback, but then smiled and laughed, stooping to her level so she could hug him properly.

James had brought a snitch for her to play with, but he and Sirius soon decided to play Quidditch in the backyard, leaving her and Remus in the house by themselves. Remus did not seem to mind though, he smiled wistfully after them before pulling a book out of his robes and beginning to read. Tonks went to her trunk and pulled out her own book before taking a seat on the couch beside him, copying him. After a few minutes however she set the book down in her lap, she couldn't read the big chapter book her mother read each night yet.

"What's your favorite color?" she asked.

"Gray." Remus replied setting his book down on the coffee table in front of them. Gray? She thought with a frown, what a boring color, why would anybody like gray, gray was like no color at all, even black was better than gray, at least it was darker. "Second favorite?" she asked hopefully.

"Blue." Remus said with a soft chuckle. "Why do you ask?" But as he turned to face her, he was astonished to see that the young girl had changed her hair into a deep shade of midnight blue.

"Wow." he managed admiringly.

"You're not afraid." she observed happily with a smile.

"Nymphadora!" Andromeda scolded sounding scandalized. "What did I tell you about shocking our guests?"

"No, I'm sorry Mrs. Tonks. Sirius told me; I'm afraid I asked her to demonstrate for me." he said quickly.

"Oh, well...I suppose it is alright then. I should be back in time for dinner, thank you again for agreeing to watch her for me."

"You didn't ask me to show you. You lied." Tonks whispered shocked after her mother had departed. He smiled and winked at her.

"Our little secret." he whispered conspiratorially. She beamed up at him.

"Do you like it? I can change it. I thought gray would make me look too old." She asked breathlessly.

"Tonks, anyone who would not like you because of what you look like, is not the sort of person you want as a friend." she nodded, he sounded like he knew what he was talking about and she thought for a moment of his scars. Were there people who did not like him because of them? "What sort of hair do you like?" he asked. She paused for a moment, screwing up her face in concentration. No one had ever asked her that before. Mother liked her hair long and brown, rather like cousin Sirius, but Tonks thought that was boring. Daddy said he didn't really care, but she could tell he liked it when she had red hair like he did. A moment later she opened her eyes and looked up at him. Her hair was pixie short, like the fairies in her story books, rather spiky and unruly like James' hair was, and a vibrant shade of pink. Remus chuckled.

"It suits you." he pronounced with a smile, she grinned.

"What were you reading?" she asked curiously peering at the spine of his book. The book was old, the gold stamped lettering that pronounced the title had begun peeling off.

"Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, it's all about magical creatures. I've read it a couple of times before." he admitted. She had been about to admit that she had read her book of muggle fairy tales loads of times, and how much she liked the stories of Cinderella and her fairy godmother, and the frog that turned into a prince, but it didn't sound as impressive as what he was reading. His were real.

"Could you maybe read a little bit to me?" she asked hopefully.

"Of Course." he said smiling softly, picking back up the book. Tonks scooted over so that she was sitting comfortably back against his chest as he began to read about Unicorns and Hypogriffs and Centaurs, feeling the melodic,soothing sound of his voice, the rhythmic rise and fall of his chest, until she fell asleep.

When James and Sirius had returned, they found the pair of them lying together asleep on the couch, Remus lazily gripping the very edge of his book in his fingers.

"Poor Remus, he looks exhausted, he's fallen asleep not an hour into our play-date. You think maybe we shouldn't have made him come after last night?" James asked seriously.

"Nah, he's fine. Besides Tonks seems to really like him."

"In more ways than one. Wotcher Sirius, but I think your cousin might be sweet on our Moony." James said with a snicker as the two took in the pair of them.

Remus' fingers relaxed and his book dropped to the floor, as Tonks sleepily found his arm and pulled it around her, nuzzling his hand against her cheek with a soft sigh of contentment, a small smile stretching across her face.

...................................

"He likes me Mama." Tonks said happily later that night as her mother tucked her into bed. She did not even fight or beg to stay up later tonight.

"Of course, he does, who could not like you. Are you referring to cousin Sirius' friend, Remus?"

"Yes. He says he like me no matter what my hair looks like."

"Your father and I do too dear."

"Yes, but that's different, you are supposed to." she insisted. "He said pink suits me." she said happily, changing her hair bright pink and short again. Her mother recoiled in surprise, but smiled indulgently. It was a phase, like when she had insisted upon having long blonde locks like Repunzel, until she began tripping over them all the time; it would pass. "He's my prince mama, like in the stories; I'm going to marry him." she whispered happily, closing her eyes and hugging her pillow as her mother stood up to leave. Andromeda smiled softly looking down at her wistful little dreamer.

"Pleasant dreams, Sweetheart." she whispered shutting out the lights.


	2. Chapter 2: 1981

"I didn't want you to come over today," she confessed in a faint whisper. "I didn't want you to see me sick," she explained softly, as he dabbed her forehead with the cool cloth. He smiled sympathetically and covered her hand with his. "I'm not pretty when I'm sick."

"Yes, very few people look attractive sick but you, Miss Tonks, are always pretty. I was sick yesterday," he confided gently as she blushed from something other than fever. Moving to sit beside her on the small bed, she managed a weak smile for him, before looking wistful out the window.

"It was a full moon last night," she whispered absent-mindedly. He stiffened imperceptibly on the edge of her bed. "I'm usually asleep before all the stars come out, but I couldn't sleep last night. I kept getting too hot and cold." Remus let out a quiet breath he hadn't been aware he was holding, nodding.

"It was so beautiful," she whispered, her eyes watered, though Remus couldn't be sure if it was from what she perceived to be the overwhelming beauty of the moon, or her body fighting the fever.

"You're older," she observed suddenly, Remus nodded. "You probably don't have a bed-time. You can stay up as late as you want to. I wish I could," she whispered admiringly, Remus chuckled softly. "Did you see the moon last night too?" Remus felt his body shudder as he nodded in the affirmative. "You are lucky," she whispered softly, coughing into her sheets. No, I am anything but, he thought sadly, biting his tongue.

"Because of the moon?"

"No. Well, yes, but I meant because you don't look sick today."

"I don't?" he wracking his brain to remember whether or not there were any new scratches or bites visible to her. She shook her head.

"Nope. Tired, but not sick."

"Well, I have it on good authority, I'm not the only one who's lucky," he replied with a grin and a wink. "Rumor has it a certain talented little girl has a knack for bouncing back quickly from whatever ails her." Tonks smiled. It was true, she was never sick for more than a day or two before she was back to her usual self, driving her mother up the wall. "Your cousin is the same way," he added with a smile and soft chuckle.

"Sirius?" she whispered. "Why didn't he come today?" Remus felt foolish for the fleeting disappointment he felt. Was his company not good enough? No, he supposed not, he thought with a sigh. Sirius and James were far more entertaining than he could ever hope to be. He was more like Peter: a tag-along, desperate to be a part of the group, but never entirely managing to.

"He had to meet with the head of Hogwarts. Professor Dumbledore, you'll be meeting him this year," he added thoughtfully.

"Sirius doesn't go to school anymore!" she protested, a worried look overtaking her face, as she struggled to sit up.

"No, Dumbledore is a good friend, and he wanted to see Sirius... and James," he added thoughtfully. And Lily, he thought sadly, and Peter...

"I'm sorry I'm not as good of company as your cousin, though I know, you hardly need a babysitter anymore," she would have agreed, if it were present company excluded. She liked it when Remus came to visit. He'd become a regular fixture whenever Sirius came over, and mother seemed to have taken a liking to him too.

"Sirius told me to tell you to rest up for a Quidditch re-match the next time he comes over."

"I don't know why he says that," she said with an exasperated sigh. "He likes playing with James better than me."

"That's not true."

"Yes, it is. I don't blame him though. I like to fly, but I'm not very good at quidditch, and my broom is a lot slower than theirs," she let out a soft sigh of resignation before turning her gaze away from the window, and back to meet his gently blue eyes.

"And I like your company," she managed softly, staring at his hand where it overlapped hers. "a lot," she admitted in a whisper so soft no one but she could hear.


	3. Chapter 3: November 1st, 1981

"Professor Dumbledore, you wanted to see me sir?"

"Ah yes, please have a seat Miss Tonks," the headmaster said heavily. "Something to drink, tea perhaps?" The young witch was too nervous to reply, but a cup appeared in front of her nonetheless, and she accepted it, nervously taking a deep swig, scalding her tongue in the process. His pacing was beginning to make her uncomfortable, the little she had observed of the headmaster in her first year here at Hogwarts, he was ordinarily a calm and collected man. "We're just waiting on young Mister Lupin now."

"Remus?" the young witch asked sitting up brightly. This couldn't be about bribing the house elves to spike Professor Snape's drink yesterday with a potion to turn his hair pink then. She made a mental note to write about it the next time she wrote to Sirius, he would love to hear his cousin was a fellow mischief-maker in school.

Suddenly the dying embers of the headmaster's fire erupted into emerald green flames as the spinning form of a tall young man emerged. Remus Lupin looked more haggard, than the young witch could ever remember seeing him, stepping from the grate as though he bore the weight of the world on his shoulders. Without a second's pause, the young metamorphmagus crossed, the room and hugged him softly in comforting gesture. He didn't fight it, but for a moment, held her fiercely.

"Bad news is always best delivered by a friendly face," Dumbledore said quietly, Remus nodded as the pair slowly separated and took the two seats the headmaster had conjured beside each other in front of his desk. "I apologize for requiring your company so early Miss Tonks, but I am afraid I have some news which concerns you that will not wait. Your friends will no doubt be discovering the news as we speak through their copies of the Daily Prophet. Have you read it yet Remus?" the headmaster asked turning to the young man, Remus shook his head. "There have been some... developments since last night," he said heavily.

"Voldemort attacked James and Lily's last night," Tonks sank backwards into her chair. That could only mean one thing: they were dead. "they were both murdered," Remus confirmed, his voice shaking. True, Tonks had always gotten on best with Remus and her cousin of the bunch, but James had always been kind to her, and just before she had come to Hogwarts she had loved playing with the baby. She gasped.

"Harry?" she asked in a hoarse and horrified whisper.

"Is safe," Dumbledore chimed in quietly.

"But how..." Tonks asked confused.

"Lily died trying to save him, I believe it left a powerful protection over him, which caused Voldemort's spell to rebound on him." Tonks mind raced with questions, Voldemort was there? Himself? The spell... Is he dead? "It would be naively optimistic, I fear," the headmaster continued somberly. "to believe that Voldemort is dead, however he is sure to be greatly weakened. I believe his followers will be the greater threat, for the time being."

"I wish," Dumbledore continued, sadly appraising the devastated pair before him, "that I could tell you that was all."

Remus' head, which had been glued to Tonks hand when she had taken his, shot up to meet apologetic electric blue eyes, unable to comprehend how with the news of the death of one of his best friends there could possibly be anything more, or worse.

"As you know," the older wizard said turning to the younger man, "James and Lily were afraid Voldemort might have marked them, and went into hiding, naming a secret-keeper. Only their keeper knew their location, and could have betrayed them to Voldemort." Remus' eyes burned, he yearned not to think, not to feel. There couldn't be anyone else. There was no question whom James would have chosen with his most trusted secret, his own, Lily, and baby Harry's life. But it couldn't be. He shook his head. "Peter Pettigrew, hunted down and confronted Sirius in the alley of a muggle village this morning. There was... an altercation, that I'm afraid involved the alteration of nearly two dozen muggles, and a great deal of clean-up. I'm afraid Peter is also believed to be dead, and Sirius.. is being sent to Azkaban."

"No!" Nymphadora leapt from her chair as though it were suddenly hot coals, wrenching Remus' hand with her in her stubborn refusal to let go of him. "It's not true," she yelled. "Sirius would never betray his friends. He wouldn't hurt Lily and James, he loved them, he loved Harry. Tell him Remus," she insisted, turning to the young sandy-haired wizard beside her, whose hand she still clutched in her own.

But Remus couldn't move. Couldn't reply. He wished he couldn't feel, but as usual it seemed he felt too much. Shock, loss, confusion, betrayal. How could it be true? And yet, there could be no other way for Voldemort to have found the Potters.

"Remus," The young witch whispered frightened, her hair shrinking from it's usual brightest pink to a pale, mousy brown. "Remus say something. Tell him it's not true. You know it isn't. You know Sirius! He doesn't belong in Azkaban with the Death Eaters and the dementors. He's not one of them. Tell him."

"How did they find Lily and James?"

"Remus? You don't... You can't think.."

"I don't know what to think," Remus whispered cautiously, shaking his head.

"But it's Sirius," Tonks whispered softly in disbelief, slowly dropping the young man's hand, and turning to him with a bewildered look as if she had never seen this man she had known most of her life.

"It is terrible news, and it will take time to accept," Dumbledore interrupted softly. "I have already spoken with your professors about granting you a brief leave of Hogwarts to be with your family. Mister Lupin can accompany you there, if you wish.

"No," Tonks whispered softly, shaking her head and backing away.

"What was that Miss Tonks?"

"I don't want to leave. I have nothing to hide, from anyone. And no wish to go with someone who believes that my cousin... would ever do such a thing."

"Miss Tonks, I know..."

"No! You don't. None of you knew him, or you would never even think such a thing! And I won't listen to you talk about him like this. He's innocent. You'll see! It's a mistake. It'll all be cleared up, and he'll be back here, and it'll be a great laugh. What I won't do is go home, and hide, and pretend to mourn the loss of a dear cousin. It's not true, and he's coming back. I know it."


	4. Chapter 4: Nov 1st, 1981 pt2

"Tonks," The young man pressed hesitantly, reaching for her hand as they reached the bottom of the spiral stairs outside the headmaster's office.

"No. Don't touch me. Go away Remus."

"Tonks, please," he pleaded.

"How could you Remus? How could you? He was your friend. He loved James, and Lily and Harry every bit as much as you did. He loved you! Almost as much as I ever did."

"Stupid," the young witch muttered, now ignoring her companion. "He told me you know," she whispered softly, returning to the sandy-haired young man who stood beside her. "About your 'furry-little problem.'"

"That wasn't his place to share."

"No, it should have been yours. I worked it out on my own you know. Ages ago. But from what he told me, they had to work it out for themselves and confront you before you would say anything about it to them either. I thought maybe you were just waiting until you thought I could handle it. But you never trusted me enough."

"Nymphadora,"

"You know, I thought, maybe you were just a bit hard on yourself, but that's not it at all, is it? You are surrounded by people that love and care about you, that don't give a damn about your condition, and you push them all away. You never let anybody in. You never get hurt, but you never live either. You enjoy playing the martyr. You let Sirius in, I thought maybe if I was just stubborn and patient enough maybe I could share space in a little piece of your heart..." she trailed off tearfully. "But I'm not so sure you even have one anymore."

"Tonks please, let me take you home."

"Why, so I can cry to mummy and daddy about my murdering, convict cousin? I don't need to go home, I'm a big girl now Remus."

"You need someone, to talk to, to..."

"I needed you," the young witch whispered, eyes filled with tears, shaking her head and wiping the tear tracks away with the sleeves of her Hufflepuff robes. "Goodbye Remus," she choked softly, turning and leaving the stunned, and utterly immobile young man behind in her wake.

...

"Did you know," asked an eager first-year as the now shabby brunette took her usual seat at the table for breakfast, though she had never felt less like eating.

"There's nothing to know, it's a frame job. Sirius is innocent," she replied briskly.

"But how can you say that Tonks? The Magic Reversal Squad had to wipe the memories of more than a dozen muggles who witnessed it."

"Witnessed what? They were muggles, they don't have any idea of what they saw."

"Well what about his family then? His brother was a Death Eater... His family were all Slytherins."

"Sirius was a Gryffindor. And I'm part of his family too, I'm in Hufflepuff," Tonks replied sharply, taking a large bite of toast to end the conversation. Whispers of Tonk's loyalties spread through the school like wildfire by the lunch hour. '_Well she supports him._' '_Thinks he's innocent._' '_She is his family, you don't reckon..._'


End file.
